


Enchanted

by Laratjuhh



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, loads and loads of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 12:45:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3896833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laratjuhh/pseuds/Laratjuhh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on Taylor Swift's song, this is a story about how Louis meets Harry and can't keep his eyes off of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enchanted

Louis just wants to go home. He’s been in this club for hours, not knowing when would be an acceptable moment to leave. He had promised his friends to go out with them weeks ago, but honestly, he hates it. The music is too loud to engage in normal communication, and it’s not like Louis needs to have deep conversations constantly, but he would appreciate it if he could say things or ask people stuff without having to raise his voice. There’s also a severe lack of self-restraint regarding some of his friends and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually resulting in Louis being the baby sitter having to take them home and tuck them in. He just doesn’t like clubs, period.

Sighing, he excuses himself and walks off towards the bathroom. Perhaps some bright lights and water in his face will improve his sour mood. The bathroom mirror, however, provides him with a somewhat shocking picture. He’s sweaty and gross (another thing that makes him strongly dislike going clubbing: you end up sticky and stinking of beer and sweat), his hair is sticking up in countless directions except the right one and the bags under his eyes almost make him look like a ghost. He splashes water in his face and attempts to fix his hair. It works. His eyes… he can’t really do much about them. He just needs sleep, that’s all. He tries smiling, but it looks pained and he almost scares himself. So… that’s not a good idea, there will be no faking smiles. He’s just so tired, he really needs to make an exit and go home, preferably within the next thirty minutes.

Louis steps outside after forcing his face into something resembling friendliness and makes his way to the bar. As he waits to get someone’s attention to order a drink, his eyes scan the room. It’s quite dark, and he really hates those flashing neon-coloured lights. There, against the wall to his right, about five metres away, is a tall young man leaning against it with one leg propped up. He’s looking down, at his phone, and dark, long, loose curls cover his face. Louis can’t look away. The guy looks a little lost, alone. Maybe he hates clubbing, too, Louis thinks sympathetically.

Then, suddenly, the guy looks up, directly at Louis, eyebrows slightly raised. Louis realises he’s been staring, but he doesn’t avert his eyes. The boy is beautiful, there’s no other way to describe it. As they look at each other, the boy’s eyebrows lower in relaxation and the corners of his mouth tug up into the hint of a smile. Then he cocks his head to the side as if to ask a question. Finally, it’s too much for Louis and he tears his eyes away from the beautiful boy to order his drink, but he can’t stop the smile from forming on his lips.

“A coke, please,” he tells the bartender, and he looks to his right again, searching for the boy. He finds him and holds his gaze again, but this time the boy lets go of his wall and makes his way towards him, slowly but confidently. 

Flushing, Louis looks away again to pay for his drink and he seats himself on a bar stool, waiting for the boy to come talk to him. Sipping from his coke, he watches the boy come closer. He’s very handsome, with pronounced features and an air of confidence around him. He’s tall, which might explain his careful footing. The way he’s looking at Louis, all open enthusiasm accompanied by a quirky smile, makes Louis squirm on the inside. The boy pushes a hand through his hair as he approaches him and Louis nearly falls off the stool. There’s no way he’ll get this handsome stranger out of his mind anytime soon.

Suddenly it isn’t all that hard to appear interested and engaged anymore. It’s all genuinely easy now. When the boy reaches Louis his smile turns a tad shy and all Louis wants to do is reach out and touch him. He gets the chance a heartbeat later when the boy introduces himself and extends his hand for Louis to shake. 

“Hi, I’m Harry. You looked a little lost so I thought I’d come talk to you. If you want to.”

Louis shakes his hand but it takes him several moments to remember his own name. He is still registering how gravelly low Harry’s voice is and how his hand completely envelopes his own. Louis feels dazed, as if he is half dreaming. He hasn’t fallen asleep, has he? But, no, Harry must be real; he is something Louis could never dream up in his best tries. Remembering what he was doing, Louis smiles bashfully and locks eyes with Harry again. 

“’M Louis. You didn’t look too happy either,” he says finally.

Harry smiles brightly and flashes two dimples. There’s something truly amazing about Harry, Louis thinks. Something that makes it impossible to look away for too long.

“Yeah, I’m kind of third wheeling tonight. There were four of us but one left and now it’s just me and ‘a couple’,” Harry winks, “of friends.”

Louis huffs out a laugh. That joke is so lame he likes it.

“What about you?” Harry asks, seeming genuinely interested.

“I, uhm, I don’t really like going out to clubs like these. Too loud, too dirty.” Grinning, he adds: “Might be a bit of a hypocrite, because I’m really loud myself.”

Harry smirks. “Yeah? What about dirty?”

“Depends on the situation,” Louis counters immediately. Harry really is something else.

“Well, you look rather innocent and lovely to me,” Harry says, bringing his hand up to softly caress Louis forearm just once. Louis shivers at the touch, wanting more already from this stranger. His breath hitches slightly, and he almost reaches out to Harry’s waist to pull him closer, but then he decides against it. Coming on too strong. Shit, he’s cute, and Louis really wants to kiss him.

“Shame,” he says instead. “I was aiming for ferociously intimidating.”

“Nah, you look too sleepy.”

“I am sleepy, yes. That’s because I’m usually sleeping at this time of night.”

“So you’re not a nighttime creature. No vampire.” 

Louis laughs. “No, but my friends do sometimes call me a werewolf, when I’m sporting scruff.”

“You must be a very cute werewolf,” Harry says. Louis’ stomach flips; did Harry just call him cute? What a wonderful night this suddenly is.

“I can see you’re quite smooth, though,” Louis says, making Harry laugh. He feels a slight blush creep onto his cheeks. “Can I get you a drink?” he offers.

Harry nods. “Sure. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“So, a coke?” Louis smirks. “’M staying sober so I can find my way home on my own. Wasn’t planning on staying out until four,” he explains.

“That sounds like a good plan. You really don’t like it here, do you?” Harry asks.

“Well, my evening just got loads better,” Louis laughs with a wink. Harry’s mouth snaps shut but breaks out into a wide smile immediately after.

Louis looks away and orders Harry a drink, while Harry grabs a stool too and sits down so that their knees are touching. Louis feels slightly overwhelmed; Harry seems more than perfect and he has no idea how to handle it. He’s just so radiant and whenever Louis has his full attention he forgets his train of thought. Breathtaking, that’s what he is and Louis can’t get enough of him.

He’s staring, he knows it. However, he can’t make himself care. There’s so much to take in; Harry’s beautiful smile, for one. Although, he should probably not let his eyes wander to Harry’s general mouth area too much. Could be interpreted as creepy.

“So where do you live, Louis?”

“On the moon,” Louis blurts out, completely lost in Harry’s unwavering attention. Their knees are touching, for fuck’s sake, and it really isn’t far for either of them to reach out and touch the other’s leg.

Harry frowns. “So you are a nighttime creature after all?”

Louis shakes his head and briefly closes his eyes as he forces himself to focus on what Harry’s saying. Nighttime creature?

“Sorry, what?”

Harry laughs, but looks a little confused as well.

“I’m so sorry, I spaced out, I really am extremely tired. I don’t think I’ll make it much longer without falling asleep, to be honest.”

Harry leans forward, on Louis’ thighs.

“Okay, how about we forget about that drink, which is taking way too long anyway, and we get you home safely?” Harry offers, looking at Louis earnestly from under his eyelashes.

Louis, endeared, cups his cheek with one hand and flashes a sleepy smile. “Are you offering to walk me home?”

“I am, if it’s not too far.”

Louis looks at him intently. It would be ridiculously easy to kiss him now. He shouldn’t do that, though. Not yet at the very least. He feels inebriated, and even though he knows it can’t be due to booze, the sleepiness and Harry’s presence are both making him a bit wobbly. He lets go of Harry’s cheek.

“Okay, yeah, let’s go,” he says softly.

Harry smiles and gets up, and his smile is so sweet that Louis can feel his own lips curve up involuntarily. 

“It’s literally a five-minute walk, though. You don’t have to.”

“I’d like to. You clearly need sleep, it gives me an excuse to leave and also to talk to you for a little while longer, even if it’s just five minutes. Win win win.”

Louis stifles his giggle with the back of his hand. He gets up too, taking Harry’s hand for support.

“Thank you,” he says. “Let me tell my friends that I’m going home.”

“Yeah, mine too. See you at the door in a bit, okay?”

“’Kay,” Louis agrees.

He stalks off to his group of friends on the dance floor. They don’t seem to have missed him very much, seeing as they’re talking excitedly (really, how do they do that with this noise while being so far apart?). Louis taps Zayn’s shoulder.

“Zayn, I’m going home. I’m absolutely knackered.”

Zayn seems bewildered. “So… you’re going home… to sleep?”

Louis looks at him exasperatedly. “Do I look like I have the energy for anything else, Zayn?”

“Not really, no. I just thought, you looked like you were interested in that bloke you were just talking to. He’s cute.”

Louis knows he’s blushing and his smile is probably very telling as well. For some reason he really doesn’t want Zayn to get the wrong impression tonight, though.

“Yeah, Harry’s really charming. However, I really don’t have the energy tonight. I just want to sleep. He’s walking me home, though.”

“Okay, well, have fun. Sleep well, Lou.”

Louis waves a general goodbye to the rest of the group, retrieves his coat and goes to wait for Harry at the door. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, but then he feels someone stroke his cheek. His eyelids flutter open and he sees Harry, smiling brightly at him.

“Wake up, I’m not carrying you home,” he says.

“Well, you need me for directions anyway,” Louis says, faint smile on his lips. 

He leans into the touch a little before Harry drops his hand and holds the door open for him. Louis is utterly endeared. He stumbles a bit, but Harry catches him before he can trip and fall. Harry’s arm wraps around his waist then and he doesn’t let go. That makes Louis more alert immediately. This is quite intimate, the way they’re leaning into each other right now. Louis looks up at Harry and mumbles a ‘thank you’. Not one to complain, he wraps his own arm around Harry’s waist too and they start walking as Harry smiles.

“Look at the moon, it’s huge!” Harry exclaims, looking up. Louis looks up too and he sees an enormous moon and loads of stars. If he wasn’t so tired he’d make a quip about how romantic that is. It truly is fairy tale scenery. As it is, Louis’ sleepiness makes him feel rather cold, and when he shivers Harry only pulls him in closer.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Harry almost whispers, somewhere really close to Louis’ ear. Louis turns his head, maybe to capture those lips with his own, he doesn’t really know, but Harry is already looking ahead again and for a moment Louis just studies his features. Harry’s pretty. He’s really very pretty. He’s witty, too. He’s maddeningly charming. He’s funny. Harry seems perfect and Louis can feel himself develop feelings for this beautiful stranger as the seconds tick away.

“Do you live close by?” he mumbles sleepily, actively fighting the urge to rest his head on Harry’s shoulder.

“Yes, I do. I think we might live quite close to each other, actually.”

Louis can feel the heat in his cheeks. He’s not under the illusion that his blush has been absent even for a moment since he first saw Harry, but every now and then Harry says or does something that makes a new wave of heat spread through his body, and the way Harry is currently stroking his side makes Louis reach a whole new level of ‘in awe’. 

Too tired for quick-witted banter, Louis asks Harry some questions about him. He wants to know everything there is to know about him, all at once if possible, and then still find out more. Harry’s attention is enticing and his smile so, so beautiful. Louis knows he’s losing focus. He knows he’s concentrating more on the shape of Harry’s lips than the words those lips are forming. He knows, he knows. He doesn’t care. If Harry catches him staring at him dreamily and calls him out, Louis can always blame it on his sleepy state.

Harry doesn’t seem to notice though, or he just doesn’t mind. Louis is home much quicker than five minutes – or so it seems. As they arrive at Louis’ front door, Harry grins and tells him he lives in the same street, a few houses back. Louis can’t stop his smile from becoming almost lunatic, because how have they never met? 

“Really? What number?”

“5. Haven’t lived here for long yet, though. Moved here last summer.”

“Oh wow. Think I’ll see you around, then,” Louis says as he reluctantly disentangles himself from Harry. “Thank you for walking me home. You’re very sweet.”

“It was my pleasure. Goodnight, Louis. Sleep well.”

And… that’s it. Louis wishes him the same and turns around, and only when the door falls shut behind him he realises that it’s too late. He should have kissed him, asked him for his phone number at the very least. This stranger, so pure and perfect, fantasy material, how many times in life do you come across that? 

Louis goes to bed, but his thoughts are no longer clouded by sleepiness. He’s now wondering about Harry. What would his lips taste like? They had looked so soft and plump, so biteable… And what would it feel like to run his hands through his thick mop of curls? Would they be as soft as they looked? What kind of sounds would he make? 

Louis imagines kissing Harry for some time, but realises that instead of falling asleep, he is only getting more and more alert, and other questions start to grow in his mind. What if Harry is taken? What if he was only being nice, seeking a way out of third wheeling his friends? Fuck. But someone as flawless as Harry… someone like that is bound to have a partner, right? Half the world is probably in love with him. Did he go home to someone just now? Is he in love with someone?

Getting back up, Louis enters his living room, searching for some distraction. He doesn’t know Harry, has only just met him, and Harry has been nothing but lovely. He walks around a bit, not quite knowing what to do and half wondering if it was a good idea to get out of bed. 

Just as he sinks down in a chair, the doorbell rings. Louis’ heart flutters. That… it can’t be, right? Harry went home. He wouldn’t be at his door, right? But who else would ring his fucking doorbell at two in the morning?

Louis races to the door and yanks it open with a hammering heart. Fuck. It actually is Harry, and Louis is in nothing but his pants. Harry looks at him, something like determination in his eyes. 

“Hey,” Louis says, forgetting how speech works for a moment.

“Hi. I uhm… I forgot something.”

Louis frowns. “What did you forget?”

Harry takes a deep breath. “This,” he mutters, before rushing in and pressing his lips to Louis’ for a moment, short but sweet. 

Louis doesn’t really get the time to react, to do something like kiss him back, so he just lets it happen. He’s still standing there, eyelids half closed, when Harry clears his throat.

“Uhm. Sorry. I thought… never mind. I’ll go home, sorry. I’ll see you around. I hope you’re not too mad at me, I just… sorry, Louis.”

Louis’s eyes fly open and he stops Harry from walking away.

“NO! I… I can’t believe that just happened. Please do that again?”

“Are you sure?”

Louis grins. “I’m very sure, yes,” and he leans in a little.

Harry cups his cheek and closes the rest of the gap. Louis kisses him back fervently. Holy shit, he’s kissing this amazing creature, this fairy tale prince. He’s not taken? He’s not in love with someone else? And best of all, Harry seems to like him, even though they only just met? 

They kiss for what feels like hours, but can’t have been that long because Louis would have gotten cold. When they finally break apart, Harry looks at him with a shy smile on his face. They exchange numbers and Louis kisses him one last time before they part ways again.

When Louis wakes up the next morning, it takes him a moment to process reality. Disappointment washes over him as he remembers going back to bed after drinking a glass of water. Harry hadn’t come back to snog him or get his number, that had all been a dream.

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of love. Xxx


End file.
